Hospital ER for Steroid Injections?

My sound tolerance was very low (spending a minute outside three times a day, listening to one song on low volume, etc.) and last week I was then forced to drive hours to a mental hospital, then back and forth to their day hospital all week, sit in noisy rooms with people talking for group for hours, then this week they gave me nortriptyline and lyrica to take.

My ear pain, tinnitus, aural fullness, and hyperacusis have skyrocketed the past few days. They have become EXCRUCIATING.

Should I go to a hospital ER? Will they give me steroid injections for my ears? I think oral steroids would be a bad idea for me. But theres no way I feel I can survive letting this additional damage stay. Will steroid injections help me? Should I go?

Will the steroid injections make me worse with how delicate and damaged my ears seem to be??

Please help...

 

Rojo, do you have a regular family doc, ENT, or nurse you could reach out to today? I know the “not knowing” is one of the hardest parts. Trying to help you think through the options.

 

They don't inject steroids in ER for "sensitive ears".
The only thing you can do is lie that you were exposed to a gun shot, but again it's unlikely that they will do anything.

I don't understand why didn't you use earplugs???

Have you tried Gabapentin?

 

I used earplugs AND earmuffs.

I've taken one dose of Gabapentin before, spiked my tinnitus with a new hissing tone.

I'm thinking more that it was ototoxicity from the medications (particularly Lyrica, like Gabapentin it's actually a pretty harsh medication). Steroids are effective for that too aren't they??

 

Yes, steroids are effective.

I recently was exposed to ototoxic antibiotic that caused some hearing loss and after that I got admitted to the hospital where they gave me IV steroids.

Audiogram got better almost to the previous level. Tinnitus and hyperacusis got better too.

I was administered steroids about a week after first exposure to antibiotic. I had to use it several times.

 

Did you experience both increase in volume and a new tone from Gabapentin?
Is this new hiss coming out of your head instead of ears?
Do you get relief from benzos?
Benzos and Gabapentin work in similar ways.

I'm thinking of trying Gabapentin now that benzos and alcohol reduce tinnitus the next day.

 

@Rojo,
Both medications can cause an increase in tinnitus only due to altering the chemicals in your brain and a little time might be needed just to settle down as your brain adjusts.

Nortriptyline has really helped me and it's sedative side of it gives me hours of sleep most nights.
I'm positive you will start to see the benefit soon.

love glynis